My Yarn Harvest goodies

So, Yarn Harvest was really fun, and super tiring!

We had a long day and I had put some money aside so I could splurge a bit. 

Here are the lovely yarns that followed me home!

Details? Why certainly, I would never deny you! From the left, a natural skein of Jamiseon Shetland, because I found the Sheep Carousel pattern on a table at Black Sheep and HAD to make one. I have other Shetland here so I only needed the lighter shade to make the fun teacozy, and I may have to make two! Love the pattern, and check the link... it goes to the designers site and not to Ravelry (not that there is anything wrong with this  Ravelry link, but some people are not on the bandwagon yet so I want to share the joy with everyone)

Next, moving right a beautiful skein of Sweet Georgia Tough love sock in the colourway Boheme....... yummy isn't it? Here is a close up.

Because you wanted that, right? The cool thing about buying Sweet Georgia yarns during Yarn Harvest is you get to visit her in her studio! Smell the wool and see the racks of drying fiber and fleece. A great experience, especially when the lovely Felica is herself in attendance. Thanks Felicia for your creative beauty. 
I didn't just buy one skein at her studio though, I bought two. The beautiful purple on the far right is the colourway Amethyst. It really looks gorgeous. (they all look gorgeous)

A closer look.....

Finally I picked up a skein from a indie dyer I had never encountered before indigodragonfly. This skein is called "Paging Dr. Smart-ass" LOL

She has some great names for her colourways. You can find her at indigodragonfly.ca
That's it, except for some hand lotion and some new sock needles to replace a broken pair.......oh, there was one other thing.

I won a prize!
From the new shop Wet Coast Wools in Vancouver..... it's a slipper kit that is a thrummed slipper! This is a technique that I have never attempted, so I am excited to try it out. Progress shots are a promise. All this beautiful wool and I have no plans yet... LOL isn't that always the way?

Stashes are crazy out of control creatures.

That are both Lovely and Terrible to behold. 

It's true! My Guild had a stash swap at a meeting two months ago and I tried to pull some things out to get rid of...... honest I TRIED. It didn't work though. Not at all, my stash loves me and wants to stay at home. So a few weeks ago I pulled it all out. As much as I could find anyway, I have a feeling that something is missing and I searched everywhere but that white yarn I just can't find!

Here it is. All I could find.

To some I know this is a puny stash.... but it's mine and I love it, I love it all!

Some is planned projects. We all have a few of those, and some is just a beautiful acquisition that I needed to add. I don't want to get rid of it....... I want to KNIT it. So there has to be some way that I can gain some type of organization, so nothing gets lost. Honestly though, it escapes me. The idea of organization for this or any of my crafty things makes me think that if I had a week I may get it done, but only if I took it in small bites and didn`t have a deadline. LOL.

I love my stash and I hope to show it off in finished things soon. I`ll keep you posted.

A Good day out

Well, today was my day at the Fibres West festival. I was super glad to be there, and tried to do my best to volunteer at the guild table, but I honestly ended up walking around for ages with my girls! YAY! Jane, Julia,  Aimee, and Anna. Thanks ladies.
It was a great day! Food was awesome, and of course there was yarn!
This was one of the free pass days that I am allowing myself this year.

Aren't they lovely!? I am super happy. I used all of the yarn I purchased last year, so I thought that this would be a good idea. I hope I am right! I can't wait to use it! Malabrigo, Indigo Moon, Sweet Georgia and West Coast Fiber Works. Yum.


Can't wait to show off some finished objects too. I am so close to being doen two sweaters, I was unhappy with the collar on one, so I am reknitting it. Socks, and fingerless gloves are on the needles too. Were you at the show? What did you get? Yarn Harvest is the next thing for me to save for! Sweet.

New goodies to show off.

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I have been planning a Yarn Crawl called Yarn Harvest in the Fraser Valley. It is now available for viewing in detail on the Fraser Valley Knitting Guild Blog sweet! Pop over, join up... it's this weekend and it is shaping up to be a blast!

On a trip to stop at the shops, we did a bit of yarn shopping. (oops)
Since I will be staying at Baaad Anna's  most of the day... I won't really be shopping, but hay... Yarn Crawl!
Anyhow... this was what I got on my mini crawl. "Research"

A lovely skein of Fleece Artist Nyoni. I love this colour. Picked it up at Gina Brown's in Vancouver.

Organic and low impact dyed cotton from Plum Project Studios..... can you believe that this is over 800 meters! I so have plans for this!

A Yummy skein of lace weight baby Alapaca By Diamond. Picked up at my weekend host Baaad Anna's. I just love this colour, and it was so soft...... I was powerless. Mine now.

And last but not least, from the fantastic sale at Three Bags Full........

Beautiful Kauni. The colourway is ET. It is fantastic..... and yes I have plans for it. In fact as I confessed to my companions that day, I have been planning this purchase for a while. I have to say, checking out the colours on the site ELC is looking pretty appealing too! Well, I can always have more plans! LOL.

We actually hit two other yarn shops that day, and I did not buy anything. One was rude..... well chilly in their reception and the other..... I didn't see anything that made me take it home, but I think I was just scared to start shopping because they had some lovely stuff! Woo!

So, nest post a few projects that I have been working on...  some Bitterroot progress, and two other shawl/stoles that take up my time... but are sooooo worth it! I finally knit with my Sweet Georgia Silk Crush Yarn that I picked up at Fibres West in um..... March? Yikes!  Wait to see what I made, I love it! Have a great week. Hope to see you yarn crawling Vancouver and the Fraser Valley!

Busy Weekend

What a great weekend. I don't think I really got much rest in. Rest will be for the week. LMAO. I amuse myself  some days.

Yesterday was a Yarn Crawl to check in on shops that had signed up but didn't have flyers or signup sheets for the Yarn Harvest event next month. It was great! We hit 6 shops, and we could easily have done at least one more, but we started a bit late. This wasn't go in say hi and leave either....... there was shopping. We browsed in each store, chatted to staff or customers. This crawl is going to be fantastic! Want to see the goodies?

 I would love to show you but Blogger isn't letting me. That's no fair. I wanted to show off the Organic fair trade laceweight cotton, the Fleece Artist Nyoni, the purple blend Kauni, and the Blue baby alpalca laceweight too!

I also planned on showing off the beautiful peaches that I spent most of this afternoon-evening canning. They are beautiful, and will be yummy! Sad really, it's not often that I have image issues. I wonder why.
Well... anyway have a great evening and week. If you are not familiar with the Yarn Harvest yarn crawl that I am organizing and you want to know I will shamelessly plug it, or answer you if you let me know you want info. I thik I will be going to be and dreaming of what to do with my lovely yarns..... yay!

I have some Fo's

Really I have a finished object or two kicking around. It is not just a rumor that I have been perpetuating.

The Blue Sedum I have mentioned is complete... and a button shopping expidition may be called for. I agree Aesderina. So no more new pics of that.... I will wait for buttons.

I did also complete some fantastic Mittens! My Canadian Pride Mittens by Vicky Taylor-Hood. I can't link to a site other than Ravelry, my apoligies if you are not on it. The pattern is available  free through Ravelry if you want to make them yours. She calls them  O Canada Mittens I love them... the pattern is easy, and it added a new skill to my repitoir. The braided edging. A technique that I have already put to use on a new mitten project. This I think will kick off my year of mittens... not that I will be knitting 52 pairs or anything, but I have many patterns that I want to make and they are small and portable.... just like socks, but intresting in a different way. Anyway more mittens are coming but first let me show these off.

Yes there is a dog foot in the shot... he really wanted to know what was up.
Back to the mittens, as I have small hands I used the modification provided, and went to town. They are lovely, and just in time for spring!
I used Patons Classic Wool....  about half a ball of each colour. So, affordable, quick and warm... go knit a pair! LOL

So currently on the needles I am in sleeve purgatory. The Ox Blood pattern knits the yoke to the sleeves and then you knit the sleeves before continuing with the body. Very cool, so I went with it. So, one project working on sleeves.

The second is the Iron ore sweater.... waiting to be steeked at the arms so I can begin sleeves. Since I am trying a new steek reinforcement I am not sure if it is the not wanting to cut or not wanting to knit sleeves.....

Last but not least I began the Essential Cardigan from the latest Interweave Knits. The Tangled Yoke wasn't working fot me and The stars aligned.... so I cast on and decided that I really should get the sleeves out tof the way if they are something that I really don't like knitting...... riiiight.

I do have the pair of mittens that I mentioned, but I began them once and they were huge, so I ripped them out and have started again, so Ihave no reall progress to show you. Two pairs of socks, one of the circular needles I do majic loop with snapped off in a filing cabinet accident and I am sharing the needle for both pairs. The Coastal Swallowtail is also still on the needles, but i just took a refresher on the beads and I think that after this post is done I will sit with it on my bed and make some progress. I think that's it for my current projects. I guess I just really want to be knitting new things..... spring startitis. I can say proudly that all objects are using yarn from my stash! I love my stash..... and I have so many thoughts on what to knit next. More on that in another post. Enjoy your weekend. Knit on, create more, make art!

I have knitting!

Another update and another Baby Suprise Jacket!

Seriously!

I do love the versatility of these little things.... I am spreding the good word, especially to knitters who have very little "pattern" experience, this is all knit... and a few tweaks! I am hoping to get a few people knitting these little jackets, even if they are feeling like they don't have enough experience..... nonsense. They are fantastic!

I decided that I wanted to understand a bit more about the stripes that I have seen on various scrap, leftover BSJ's I wanted to understand how the striping would travel if I knit two strips of colour at the begining and one near the end. The results were the front

and the back.

I have this one on the needles now, where I began with one colour and I am obviously using some leftovers from another colour to finish up. These two experiments have been fun, and still quick to knit.... I do have a bit more to weave in however....

I have a progress shot of the back of the Central Park Hoodie. I think it is going very well, but because it is supposed to be a KAL and the others are not begun, or knitting as much as I am. I have only been knitting this on Knit nights. I think that I will have to speed this up though, as much as I am intrested in KALing with them, I do want to wear this sweater... that is the goal for me. I may have to knit a bit more during this weekend. Maybe finish the back, and begin a front. Who knows, I may not even get to it...

I do enjoy the way this is looking though, and I think that the others will too... I do know that it is knitting up fast for me, and that is always a bonus.

I guess I am just to impaitent to be knitting for me, and I do like the product at the end!

I am very close to being complete the hunters vest, I will be re-measuring for length tomorrow (or tonight) and hopefully binding off so that I may steek..... I think I really just have to bite the bullet and do it. I am knitting with wool, and some people don't even re-inforce the knitting with wool, as the fibers grab naturally. We shall see, I promise pics and a report.

Fibres West was this weekend, a few girlfriends, and my Mom went with me on Friday night. I picked up some fantastic New Zealand wool, at a great price from Twist of Fate. It is a chocolate brown colour, so now all I have to do is decide what pattern I want to use with it.

The festival was smaller this year than in years past, but as this is the first year that it has a new group at the helm, that is totally to be expected. I still enjoyed the booths, and obviously found some goodies. In this economy I really feel that supporting the local vendors is important! Hopefully next year there will be more, I wonder if they will need a planning comittee, I should try to volunteer!

So here are some fur baby shots.....

Sam

and Simon....

they are so cute, and still growing! awwwww....

good weekend gang, can't wait to give a better update with more FO's!

Burnt Socks are done.

So here is the shot of them all done!

And here is a shot of the biggest dam cone of SWS by PAtons that I have ever seen, let alone aquired!! I got it last month from a gal on Ravelry!! Wow, wine glass for scale gals!

Seriously, I want to live next to this knit shop! Dang! I snatched it up for a great price, so PM me if you want to know who I got it from on so you can see what else she has. I can't wait to make a Lady E inspired shawl for my mom out of it. First I have to learn how to enterlac, so I will be trying out a Quant from Knitty. Wish me luck!

YAY.... FO post!

So today is a FO post! I have tonnes..... well, maybe not tonnes but a bit!

It makes me happy!

James' skull scarf is complete and with it's new owner. YAY!

My Fresh socks are done tooooooo............I am wearing them now :) They are comfy! I hope I have enough yarn to knit a second pair! I reaaaaaly like them. They were my own dye job, on Knitpicks wool.... so I guess I really like the Knitpicks wool!
Also, a baby hat for a friend of my sisters. Super cute!
I have an update on my Burnt socks too. This is sock one.

With a close up of the details.

I am trying to get all the WIP's that I can find done and gone. I think that this week the Icarus shawl will be back on my plate. I want to not have to wonder what I will fine in the next box or basket.... etc. LOL Stash reduction one project at a time. Here is a prome example of something that I am working on clearing! Yes, the Star Scarf parade on Up Late Designs! LOL

Once all the current UFO's are out of the way then I can get to completing some of the other things on my queue! That will be real stash progress, I was hoping to start a few new projects to go with the Project Spectrum theme for this year. Luckily the Icarus shawl actually fits a colour planned for Feburary. (I have a new button for PS, check it out!) Have a great weekend!

Back again

So here I am ready to give a better update than the previous post.

I will start with my completed pumpkins.... cute litte guys eh, bet you can guess when I started these little babies..... around the Halloween swap! LOL Oh well, they have been waiting to be stuffed for ages and now they are put together and getting rave reviews!

My new pair of socks is so close to being off the needles, if I just stopped typing, I could have them done and photographed, and up her in about 15 min..... but I will block them first and then show them off. Here is an update photo however... I think the colours are working quite nicely!
Speaking of blocked socks, here are the first pair from the hand-dyed yarn..... on my homemade blockers LOL !! So cute!

I also have to get ready for the next pair of socks.... for a friend who live a ways away, they will be a suprise. I am planning on making a pair for her husband too. His will be boring black, with maybe a stripe of her yarn in it. Her sock yarn is truly a marvelous thing!
Nice huh, it's called Panda Yarn and it is a bamboo superwash mix. Dyed by the same shop owner who created my teal sock blend. She is pretty good eh? I am pretty excited to get these knit up, it's a "Christmas" gift. We don't really exchange holiday gifts, but we like to send care packages every once in a while LOL.

And last but not least, the Skull scarf for my good friend James. This IS a late Christmas present, but it is double knit, and I am improvising the pattern, so it's slower going than I would like! Any way, here is a nice shot of it.

I finally managed to get most of my Christmas gifts done. James and Tiztianna are left. The project that I am making for Titzianna is a black and red Star Scarf.... she will totally rock it, I can see it now!

Can you imagine, I started on the wrong things in September, so I never got enough ahead in my Christmas knitting! Dang! LOL Oh well, live and learn!

So gang..... there you have it. I have even posted all my UFO's in Ravelry.... so I can't get away with not finishing them...... they will haunt me every time I am in there. This last picture is of some sock yarn from the same source as the teal and the blue bamboo mix. This will be aother pair of socks for me, as soon as I am good enough to get all the little thing that are haunting me off my plate! I am so in cleanup mode! The DF and I are looking at moving, as I mentioned so I am taking the oppurtunity to pack up my things as best as I can..... at least what I am not using. LOL I will have some sewing to share with you next time I post.... the other things that I have to finish! aack! LOL Thanks for stopping by!

As promised

I said that my next post would be a bit less photo centered.
Here you go! I hope that this make the page easier to load........ because before Monday I am going to have two sweater updates to add kids!
You may have noticed that I have the Sweater a month KAL on my list of blogs that I visit....
I am trying! I have started February's and am eagerly anticipating Marches fiber to arrive!

Yes I ordered more yarn....................... I am a bad stash reducer! I know that this will be well worth it! I have some great projects to make and I need to test out potential types of yarn. So I will also show off that box when it arrives.......
I KNOW!!!!
but we all get to fall off the wagon once................. I want to keep up with my resolutions I swear, but I have no green yarn, and March means green in the craft-a-long.
I have two thoughts on my yarn splurge.

1. I have a gapinng hole in the colour spectrum of my yarn, and I am obviously needing project spectrum, and the craft a long to keep me from being totally clothed in blue!!!! LOL

2. I agree with knitty knitter................. my brain has issues stopping the massive ideas rolling around my head, for example on the weekend we were staying at a friends house and I couldn't sleep........ I was planning touques to knit for the entire household! (four people....my other half, myself and our fabulous hosts.) So I can't try to make these things while I am stuck with no pallet!

If that isn't enough justification, I can't knit my sweater in the car...... or with anything distracting happening like chatting with friends...... or I mess up on the cable chart, so I need easier, more portable work......................
dam, I don't really even need an enabler, I can enable myself thank you! LOL
we shall see................... I think that this may be the free pass I allow myself, as I did pick up several projects worth of yarn. Now I have no free pass, thank god I lasted at least this long! LOL

Knit from my Stash? Not a bad plan.....

Knit From Your Stash 2007!
I saw the "offical" site where the button was from (see link) and thought that it mirrored my resolutions.
So I wondered if making my own rules around my stash knitting would help. I would put up the button too, but I have issues with that............so far.

1. The Knit-From-Your-Stash-a-Thon will start January 1, 2007
2. We will not buy any yarn during that period, with the following exceptions:
2.a. If someone asks for a specific knitted gift that we really and truly do not have the yarn for, we may buy yarn to knit that gift.
2.b. If we are knitting something and run out of yarn, we may purchase enough to complete the project.
2.c. We each get one "Get Out of Jail Free" card -- we are each allowed to fall off the wagon one time.
3. We are allowed to receive gifts of yarn.( again if someone wants to have somthing done for them and THEY buy that yarn it is ok)
4. Trading stash is allowed.
5. Spinning your own fiber of any sort is exempt.

I bet that this will not be my only post today! LOL
oh and you have to see this! no.............REALLY!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-l93gltkCc
Create well my friends!